Delegate Don Dwyer (in sunglasses) listens to speakers at a Pro Second Amendment rally in Annapolis today. (WBAL's Robert Lang)

Delegate Don Dwyer talks about his bills related to elected officials who are sent to jail. Download This File

The only member of the Maryland General Assembly who is serving jail time while in office is proposing a pair of bills, related to his experience.

Anne Arundel County Delegate Don Dwyer is spending weekends in jail serving out a 60-day jail term for drunken boating and drunk driving. He has already completed a 28 day in patient rehab program. Dwyer has introduced a bill to make both the jail sentence and the rehabilitation mandatory for any state elected official accused of drunk driving.

"I first hand have benefited from everything I was subject to as a result of my incident," Dwyer told WBAL News.

"As a result of that I feel that every member should be afforded the same privileges that I was and the same benefits that I was. To be able to get the help that I got, primarily as a result of the 28-day in-patient rehab, I mean that was very helpful to me, it helped me deal with a problem that I had, an now I have been sober since I got out of the facility.

Dwyer's bill would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, a constitutional officer in the executive unit, a judge, a state's attorney, or a county sheriff.

Those officials would also be covered under other terms of the sentence Dwyer received, including a 28-week outpatient rehabilitation program, 18-months with an ignition interlock attached to their vehicle, three years probation, and a three year ban on attending any official event where alcohol is served, or an establishment where alcohol is served.

"I have personally benefited by all of the things that I have been charged with. They have absolutely benefited Delegate Dwyer, and Don Dwyer as a person," Dwyer told WBAL News.

This bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Dwyer is also proposing a state constitutional amendment to automatically suspend any lawmaker serving jail time.

Dwyer said that he introduced the legislation in response to House Speaker Mike Busch and Minority Leader Nic Kipke, who both said last month that Dwyer should resign.